UFO Final Major splashes down in Switzerland- 1 giant leap for Frisbee dogs!

On September 12, the final UFO event of the 2014 kicked off under gray skies. On the ground, a ton of excited frisbee dogs and their handlers were not letting the sullen clouds spoil anything, as they were about to take part in some disc dog history.

From all over Europe, and even the USA, teams had gathered to play one last event in the series-take one last grab at World Cup points, or a D-Tour qualification. What played out was one of the biggest UFO events ever seen in Europe, and an incredible start to an amazing weekend.

The UFO needed a strong partner in this venture, and they had it with DiscDog Ostschwiiz. The Swiss club pulled out all the stops, and a nearly year-long effort came together in an incredible event. From the great hospitality, to the incredible venue, and small details everywhere, this club simply knocked it out of the park.

The weekend started off with traditional Swiss Alphorns serenading the teams-how perfect!! All teams were in for a great helping of swiss hospitality from the host stadium to the host city. Even the Mayor of St. Gallen came out to give the event his blessing and good wishes. Other great touches included custom Swiss Army knives for all the World Cup Finalists, a genuine fondue dinner for all teams on Saturday night, a performance of traditional Swiss music Appenzeller culture, and LOTS of &quotHop Schwiz!" all weekend.

While the rain was making things a bit wet, the field was still very playable, with no muddy spots appearing. This was due to the fact that it was held in a stadium intended for professional sporting events, so the ground was well-drained. The grass got damp, but no puddles ever formed.

All day long teams were competing on 2 separate fields. With nearly 130 teams to run in a Major, it was the only way to pull this off. During the entire event, the DDO crew worked tirelessly to keep the event moving. When the final D-Tour throw was complete, the competitors gathered for awards. The Beginner Divisions saw a home-country sweep as the Swiss took the top 3 spots in Throw & Catch and Combined.

In the Open divisions, it was a bit more international. The Open Throw & Catch event went to the Dutch, as the stone-breaker Perry van Mulukom and his dog Piper showed once again that they are the team to beat in T&C events everywhere. In Freestyle, Adrian Stoica and Rory narrowly held off Matteo Gaddoni and Flower to secure their spot as the top dogs of FS. Finally, in the Combined event, the same result as freestyle-Adrian and Rory just beating Matteo and Flower. Also on the podium, representing the USA, Christi Campbell and Banner showed no signs of jet lag taking 3rd.

D-Tour:
In the Mens division, only Marcel Buff and Neyla prevented a German sweep of the event. The top spot went to Sebastian Grahn and Faylin, while Marcel and Neyla took second. In third, Heiko Schmidt and Anni were on the podium after the tie-breaker put newcomer Freddy Pazderka and Gianna from Austria in 4th.
On the ladies side, Nora Perge and Click of Hungary managed 1 extra meter on their final throw to narrowly beat Bettina Koch and Aloha of Germany. The Swiss were proud to put a team on the podium for this event as well, Manuela Bodenman and Leni take 3rd by less than a meter.

It was a long wet day, and only the beginning of an incredible weekend. But no one in Europe is soon to forget the incredible season that finished in Switzerland. - UFO